The Last Archangel: A Minor Christmas Story
by inukagome15
Summary: Excerpt from "The Last Archangel". In which Gabriel has forgotten it's almost Christmas, Jarvis has trouble with facial expressions, and Butterfingers is particularly fond of pink.
1. Chapter 1

**I'm doing a prompt giveaway/thank you event over on tumblr because I've reached a follower milestone. Basically, you guys send me prompts for whatever you like and I'll fill them. It can be a request for anything I've already written or even something new in a fandom I've mentioned or I've reblogged. A list of fandoms I've been involved in (even if only peripherally) can be found on my profile if you scroll down a little.**

**This prompt was requested by _doxblogsstuff_ (_Adoxerella_). Basically just a request for something with Jarvis and the kids with Gabriel/Tony. It could've been longer, but then I wasn't sure how much longer it would get so I decided to call it safe and stop when I was ahead.**

**This is set in-between the two Iron Man movies, meaning only the kids know who Gabriel really is.**

**The Last Archangel: A Minor Christmas Story:** In which Gabriel has forgotten it's almost Christmas, Jarvis has trouble with facial expressions, and Butterfingers is particularly fond of pink.

* * *

**The Last Archangel: A Minor Christmas Story**

* * *

"Tony, Tony, Tony! Look what I got! Look!" Butterfingers ran in, almost bowling over You in her eagerness, and came to an abrupt stop in front of Tony. She twirled several times. "Look!"

Tony's hands were in mid-air, fingers frozen in the motion of tweaking the engine of a car. He was too busy staring at Butterfingers. "It's very pink," he finally managed.

Butterfingers deflated. "You don't like it?"

"That's not it," Tony said hastily, sensing an impending meltdown. "Do you…_like_ pink?"

Butterfingers pouted and pointed behind him to where her robotic body rested in its charging station. It was surrounded by all sorts of pink things.

"Point," Tony said. He looked down at her, dressed in a very pink and frilly dress that had Pepper's hand all over it. He cleared his throat. "Give me a twirl?"

Butterfingers obliged, grinning toothily. "Well?" she demanded.

"Lovely," Tony said, not entirely lying. It was too pink and frilly for his tastes, reminding him far too much of Louis XIV's fashion habits. That had been an enjoyable century…

Butterfingers didn't seem to notice his preoccupation. "Pepper bought it!"

"Wheeee!" Dummy bolted in, tripping over You and flying into Butterfingers, toppling both of them over.

"Ow!" You didn't seem at all pleased by this turn of events. He had been rather happily tinkering with an engine.

"Dummy!" Butterfingers whined, squirming under him. "Get off!"

Jarvis appeared at the door, eyebrows twitching slightly as he evidently tried to get his face to look disapproving; he ended up with a vaguely constipated expression. "I believe you said you would be able to handle them, sir?"

"You look a bit constipated, J," Tony said, watching Butterfingers and Dummy work themselves free.

Now Jarvis's lips turned downward. "That did not answer my question."

"You didn't ask one."

Jarvis looked rather frosty now (and what did that say about his youngest that _that_ was the expression he'd had the least amount of trouble mastering?). "Sir."

Tony waved a hand, making a face when the motion messed up the engine calibrations on the holograph in front of him. "It was just You, and then Butterfingers came in with that"—he hesitated a split-second—"lovely dress, and Dummy ran in, tripping over You and knocking Butterfingers down. How is any of that my fault?"

"They _are_ yours," Pepper said sweetly, stepping into view behind Jarvis.

"I never said I was good with children," Tony said.

"Then why did you make them bodies?"

Tony pretended to mull over his answer for a few seconds before offering, "Because I could?"

On cue, Pepper rolled her eyes, stepping into the workshop to go over to Butterfingers and help her pat down her dress. Dummy was pouting on the floor, arms folded across his chest.

It hadn't been because Gabriel _could_ make real flesh-and-blood bodies (although that had been partly the reason). It was mainly because they were _alive_, and leaving actual souls in rather outdated robotic bodies didn't seem right. There was also the part where they had _wanted_ the experience of feeling human; before anything – before he had even set Dummy up with picking out hair and eye colors – he had made sure that they wanted it.

And barring some mishaps because having a robotic body was entirely different from having a human body, it had gone swimmingly.

"May I ask what inspired this visit?" Tony asked.

Pepper shot him a blank look, giving Butterfingers's dress one last pat down before standing. "Christmas is a week off."

Taken aback at this statement, Tony squinted at the date at the uppermost corner of the holograph floating in front of him. "So it is."

Jarvis eyed him strangely. "Were you not aware of this?"

"I wasn't really paying attention," Tony admitted, flicking the holograph away.

"How unexpected," Pepper said. She whipped out a file and pushed it into Tony's hands. "Details on all the events you're expected to be at for the next week leading up to Christmas, and I've cleared your schedule for the twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth, as well as New Years' Eve and Day." She shot him a significant look that he didn't need to be an archangel to understand.

"Do we have a tree?" Tony asked, peering at the inch-thick file.

"I have taken the liberty of ordering one, sir," Jarvis said.

"Rhodey and I will be here when it arrives," Pepper said, pulling out her phone. "Heaven forbid we leave you here alone to decorate it."

"Despite popular belief," Tony said, "I am not a pyromaniac."

"We know," Pepper said. "But as honorary godparents, we should be here for the kids' first Christmas."

With one last smile, Pepper turned on her heel and left. Tony was left staring after her with a rather stunned expression on his face.

It had been a remark Tony had thrown out in passing, but apparently they'd taken it entirely too seriously.

"I am going to regret this," Tony said, shooting a glance at the very pink dress Butterfingers was showing off to You.

"That would depend entirely on what ill-advised decision you have made, sir," Jarvis said primly. He took the file from Tony and flipped it open. "May I ask how you missed that it is almost Christmas?"

Gabriel pursed his lips. "Jesus Christ wasn't born in December, J. You know that. The occasion isn't anything we bother to keep track of."

"Dummy has plastered Christmas cards all over the house," Jarvis pointed out.

"I thought he was going through a phase."

Dummy slid over to Gabriel's feet, tugging at his pants and looking up at him with large brown eyes. "I want Christmas."

With a big put-upon sigh, Gabriel crouched down, picking Dummy up. He gently bopped his eldest's nose with his own. "You really want it?"

"Yeah!"

Butterfingers had a sly gleam in her eyes. "Can we have a pink tree?"

Gabriel stared down at her in horror.

Jarvis had absolutely no trouble keeping an excellent poker face. "My apologies, Butterfingers. There were no pink trees available to be ordered."

"_I hate pink,_" You muttered in Chinese.

"You!" Butterfingers whirled on him, face flushed in anger.

You ducked behind Tony's legs, sticking his tongue out at his enraged sister. "_Too much pink,_" he said pointedly.

"Tony!" Butterfingers pleaded, looking up at him.

"Uh…" Tony racked his brains for something to say. Usually he was the one starting fights, not resolving them. "Pink is a very lovely color, but there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. And a pink Christmas tree would be crossing the line."

Butterfingers looked dangerously close to bursting into tears.

"We can get a pink stocking!" Tony added hastily.

"Already done, sir," Jarvis said, looking far too pleased for his own good.

Dummy tugged lightly at a stray lock of Tony's hair. "Does Santa bring coal?" he asked seemingly randomly.

"_There is no Santa,_" You said, looking at Dummy as if he was slow.

"Technically not quite true," Gabriel said slowly.

Jarvis looked intrigued. "Do tell, sir."

"I think the Winchesters might have ganked him by now…"

"Ganked?" Butterfingers asked.

"Killed," Dummy said all too gleefully.

Tony eyed him in trepidation. "I think that's enough of Rhodey's video games for you."

"_I want a toolbox,_" You said, looking completely unperturbed at all discussion of killing a beloved childhood icon.

"I think I've entered the twilight zone," Tony said.

"Do tell, sir," Jarvis said, holding up a sheet of paper from the file Pepper had given him. "You are due at the Maria Stark Foundation's event tomorrow at ten."

Tony didn't flinch as You climbed up his back, wrapping his arms around his neck and pressing his cheek against Tony's. "I get no respect."

"Pepper says respect's for adults," Butterfingers said wisely, tugging at Tony's sleeve in a silent question. "And you're not one."

"Really?" Tony shifted Dummy over to one side in order to make room for Butterfingers.

"At last count," Jarvis said idly, "you are an angel."

"Pepper says you're an overgrown man child who eats too much chocolate," Butterfingers said.

Tony made a face. "She found my secret stash?"

"Rhodey's been eating it since he found it," Dummy informed Tony.

"Oh, he has, has he?" Tony said. "I think I know what he's getting for Christmas."

"_Coal?_" You asked, breath tickling Tony's ear.

"Coal," Tony confirmed, a wicked glint in his eye. "_Chocolate_ coal."

Jarvis looked disapprovingly at Tony, though the way his face was twisted now made it look like he wanted to beat something to death.

Before Tony could figure out a tactful way of saying that Jarvis really needed to work on his facial expressions, Dummy had beaten him to it by saying, "What do you want to kill?"

The murderous expression shifted to something vaguely sick. "Kill, Dummy?"

"Now you look sick," Butterfingers said.

Dummy pulled out a small compact mirror from his pants and offered it to Jarvis. "For practice."

"Why do you have that?" Tony asked, perplexed.

"Practice," Dummy repeated, giving him a broad grin.

After a few images of Dummy making faces at himself in a mirror ran through Tony's mind, he decided he didn't really want to know. When he looked at Jarvis again, he found his youngest staring down at the mirror with an unusually pensive expression.

"I'll leave you to it, shall I?" Tony said. "Internet's yours if you need help."

Jarvis's head snapped up, alarm written all over his face. "Sir—"

But Tony had already flitted off to the kitchen.

Standing in the middle of the gleaming room, he looked between the three expectant faces of his kids. "So…what do you want for Christmas?"

* * *

**Thoughts?**


	2. Chapter 2

**_lynngryphon_ asked for an add-on with actual Christmas shenanigans.**

**I'm not sure how much of Christmas I put in here, but we have a movie marathon and some talk of presents... Then sleep happened and...you'll just have to see what I mean.**

**This is also for _marmotje_, who has just come from taking a difficult exam and could do with some feel-good fluff. Hope you enjoy it! :)**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

* * *

"IT'S CHRISTMAS! CHRISTMAS, TONY, CHRISTMAS!" That was all the warning Tony had before a tiny bundle of energy and exuberant joy leaped onto his back and started choking him.

Tony adjusted Dummy slightly, slipping a hand under his right leg to heft him up. "Is it?"

"It's Christmas Eve," Dummy said in a more reasonable tone. He poked at the date in the upper corner of the holograph floating in front of Tony.

"So it is," Tony acknowledged, flicking his fingers and discarding the screen.

"Dummy give you the news?" Pepper asked from the doorway. She was dressed casually, warm socks on her feet.

"Yep," Tony answered.

"We wanted to surprise you in bed, but you weren't there." Pepper sounded disapproving. "Did you sleep?"

Tony's eyes flicked over to the mat in the corner where he'd slept _before_. "Yyyyes?"

Pepper raised an eyebrow. "So no."

"I said yes."

"It sounded like a question," Dummy cheerfully informed him.

"Yes, I slept," Tony lied through his teeth.

Pepper sighed, evidently giving it up. "Please tell me you ate something."

There was an empty trashcan filled with candy wrappers, but Pepper would probably have a heart attack if she knew. "Yep."

"What?" Pepper pressed.

"Ate the leftovers," Tony said. "Stir fry was awesome."

Since Pepper assumed there was no way for Tony to have known what they ate the day before without actually eating the leftovers, she let the subject drop, satisfied.

Rhodey walked in, a beaming Butterfingers sitting on his shoulders. She wore fluffy pink pajamas with hearts all over them.

"What did we rehearse, sweetheart?" Rhodey asked, glancing up with a grin.

"Uncle Rhodey rules!" Butterfingers cheered, pumping a fist into the air. She had what looked like a toothbrush in her mouth.

"Well, not gonna lie, that's cute," Tony drawled. "Butterfingers, why are you sucking on a toothbrush?"

"I like the toothpaste," Butterfingers said around said object.

"Honey, no," Pepper said. "That's for cleaning your teeth, not using like a lollipop."

"But doesn't sucking toothpaste make your teeth extra clean then?" Butterfingers asked.

"You know, that's a good question," Tony said, getting twin glares from Pepper and Rhodey.

Pepper opened her mouth – no doubt to say just _why_ sucking toothpaste wasn't healthy – but the appearance of You dragging something behind him had her shutting her mouth in surprise.

You walked in, pulling a rope that was attached to a large skateboard, on top of which Jarvis stood, a red cape fluttering behind him and hands clasped behind his back. He looked unruffled.

"_The Masked Intelligence,_" You announced in Chinese with a bow, gesturing to a serene Jarvis.

"Oh Jesus," Rhodey blurted out.

"Totally _awesome_!" Dummy crowed, his left leg swinging wildly in excitement. Tony tightened his grip on Dummy's other leg.

"I wish I had a camera," Tony said.

Pepper pulled her phone out and snapped a couple of pictures before Jarvis could move. "Luckily I do."

"Can you send me those?"

"Don't make a fuss at the next couple board meetings and I'll think about it," Pepper said sweetly, shooting a sly smile his direction.

"Okay, Jarvis, I gotta ask," Rhodey said, sauntering up to Jarvis, who was still standing on the skateboard. "How are you feeling? Slightly high, maybe?"

"Ecstatic, Colonel," Jarvis said completely normally.

"Really? You might wanna try and smile then."

Jarvis paused, tilting his head slightly. A moment later, his lips twisted into a stiff grin that looked eerily similar to the Joker's.

"Good try," Rhodey said, keeping his face straight. "But just relax a little?"

"I gave you a mirror," Dummy said.

Jarvis pulled out said mirror, inspecting his face while adjusting his smile. It didn't take long before he came away with a practiced smile that didn't reach the eyes.

"You might wanna work on that," Rhodey said, taking a hand off Butterfingers's leg to show a tiny space between his index and thumb fingers. "Just a little."

"Noted," Jarvis said, that smile still on his face.

"Just a little…" Tony reached out, prodding Jarvis's cheek into relaxing.

"Sir." The word dripped with disapproval.

"_This pizza is cold,_" You said, holding a congealed pizza slice in his hand that he had gotten from a box on a table. He looked deeply disappointed in Tony's life choices.

"Why are you eating that?" Tony moved over to tug the pizza slice out of You's hand and throw it in the garbage, tossing in the pizza box as well.

"Perhaps the better question is why you have that down here at all," Pepper said.

"Food versus tech," Rhodey said sagely, nodding. "Tech wins."

"But neither of them can fight," Butterfingers protested.

"Shh, sweetheart." Rhodey patted a foot that dangled by his face. "What did we agree on?"

"Uncle Rhodey is always right," Butterfingers recited.

"That's my girl."

Tony cleared his throat. "Perhaps a better question is what you've got planned?"

"Up," You said, tugging on Tony's shirt.

Tony crouched, wrapping his free arm around You and picking him up. "That doesn't answer my question," he informed You.

"First, you're taking a shower," Pepper said. "Second, you're going to eat something."

"And last but not least, we're going to marathon Christmas movies," Rhodey said cheerfully. He turned and walked out, Butterfingers cheering him on.

"_Nightmare on Elm Street_?" Tony asked.

Pepper gave him a strange look. "That's a horror movie."

"_Nightmare Before Christmas_," Tony corrected quickly.

"Can't we watch the horror movie?" Dummy asked.

Tony turned his head to give Dummy a look. "I think you're a bit young for that, buddy."

"I'm not _that_ young!"

"You are very old," Pepper mollified him. "Now why don't you let Tony go and take a shower?"

"I resent the implication that I smell," Tony said.

"Commentary from the peanut gallery is not acknowledged," Pepper said.

"Fine." Tony set You down on the table behind him and let Dummy slide off. "First movie's mine."

"No horror movies," Pepper said.

"I have placed a block on the server," JARVIS said.

Pepper flinched at the sound, briefly closing her eyes. "Jarvis," she began evenly, "was that necessary?"

"Absolutely, Ms. Potts," JARVIS responded serenely.

"Christ," Pepper said.

"Okay, I'm off. J, don't traumatize her too much." Tony flicked his fingers as a goodbye and sauntered out.

* * *

The first movie Tony queued up was _Nightmare Before Christmas_ because even he could agree it was a classic. Then a number of other films followed, including the classic animated movies involving Rudolph, Santa Claus, and the spirits of winter and summer. By the time evening rolled around, Rhodey insisted on _Die Hard_, and afterward Pepper slipped in the animated version of _Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer_ where the reindeers had hair.

Non-alcoholic eggnog was served, and Christmas cookies Tony couldn't remember baking found their way onto plates. Butterfingers decorated hers artfully with pink frosting, offering Tony one that he graciously accepted.

Dummy gave him one, too, but his looked like a monster had gone and puked up a variety of colors and mashed them all together. Despite that, it tasted a lot better than it looked.

"When are we doing presents?" Dummy asked sometime during Rhodey's movie.

"What's tradition say?" Tony asked, accepting You's offer to help decorate his cookie. Tony held it out to let him go crazy with it.

"One tonight and the rest tomorrow?"

"If you want," Tony said.

"Say it with feeling," Rhodey urged.

Tony raised his eyebrows, meeting Rhodey's shit-eating grin. He promptly clapped his hands together, forgetting about the cookie he was holding. "Let's do it."

"Aw cookie," You protested, looking dismayed.

Tony looked guiltily down at the mess on his hands. "Oops."

Pepper sighed long-sufferingly and gave You another one. "We're not opening presents now."

"I wrapped mine by myself," Butterfingers said proudly.

Tony glanced over to the tree, where a pile of presents lay. Butterfingers's handiwork was instantly evident: they were pink. "Later, buddy," he promised Dummy, grabbing a tissue to wipe the mess off.

Rhodey threw a pillow at Tony's head. "We're watching the movie."

Dummy picked up the offending pillow, hugging it to his chest as he snuggled next to Tony.

Tony slowly wrapped an arm around Dummy's shoulders, pulling him closer. His warmth was a reassuring weight at his side.

He was distracted by You pressing another cookie in his hand, his look promising retribution if Tony destroyed this one. Then You moved onto the couch and snuggled up to Tony's other side.

Cookie in hand, Tony was left deliberating whether he should eat it or leave it on the plate for later. The decision was made for him when Jarvis took the cookie and put it on the plate, giving Tony a small upward tilt of the lips that meant far more than any other smile ever could.

The end credits of the movie were rolling by the time Butterfingers crawled into his lap and made herself at home. Tony gave a warning look to a smirking Rhodey, who raised both hands in surrender.

"Who's up for some Rudolph?" Pepper asked, shooting Jarvis, who sat next to her, a look.

"One or two?" Jarvis asked.

"One," Tony, Pepper, and Rhodey said simultaneously.

"Sequels suck?" Dummy asked fuzzily, sounding sleepy.

"Yep," Tony said, ruffling his hair.

"_Harry Potter_ would argue otherwise," Rhodey said.

"They're different stories," Pepper said, dragging a blanket over her legs.

"With an overarching theme that ties them all together," Tony said, brushing a hand through You's hair. "Ergo, they're all one story."

Rhodey threw another pillow at Tony, who caught it and threw it back, hitting Rhodey in the face with a very satisfying flop.

"Boys," Pepper sighed.

"I was under the impression that they were two fully grown men," Jarvis said.

"No, they're boys," Pepper said, nudging Jarvis's shoulder with her own. "They have no concept of social mores."

"I am the CEO of a very important company," Tony said, affronted.

"And I'm in the military," Rhodey added.

"Boys," Pepper repeated, nodding.

"Indeed," Jarvis said, a little pinch between his eyebrows the only thing signaling his confusion.

"Why do the reindeers have hair?" Butterfingers asked, pressing her head into Tony's chest as she looked up at him.

Tony pressed his lips into her hairline. "That, my dear, is a very good question."

"Shh," You shushed them. "_I wanna hear the witch._"

They fell back into a comfortable silence, with the only sounds that of the characters on the screen and the music.

Dummy fell asleep first, his head sliding down until it was resting in Tony's lap next to Butterfingers's leg. Butterfingers was next, her hair tickling Tony's nose as she remained in his lap. You dropped off right on Tony's shoulder, face mushed into Tony's arm.

Rhodey and Pepper kept sneaking Tony these little glances that suggested they thought they were being totally subtle about it (they weren't, but Tony let them have their delusions) and sharing knowing smiles.

Which Tony didn't bother to point out because having his kids fall asleep on him like this wasn't even that big a deal. They were his _kids_. Jarvis had a faint look about him that suggested he was rather jealous of his older siblings.

When _Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer_ finished on a rioting note of the actual song, the sound turned off as JARVIS muted it.

"They're asleep," Rhodey whispered, giving the bots a soft look.

"Didn't notice," Tony said dryly.

"We'll put them to bed," Pepper said, kicking off her blanket. "It's late."

Pepper took You, who made a distressed sound at being moved before she ran a soothing hand down his back and he quieted, settling against Pepper. Dummy didn't stir as Rhodey picked him up bridal style.

Tony wrapped his arms around Butterfingers, who stirred as he moved to stand. She blinked sleepily at him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Can we have a sleepover?" she asked into Tony's shirt, words muffled.

"All of us?" Tony kept his voice low as he trailed after Pepper and Rhodey. Jarvis remained a step behind him.

"Mm-hmm." Butterfingers nuzzled his shoulder sleepily, sighing.

Tony wasn't quite sure what expression he had on his face when Rhodey turned back to him, but he figured it must've been something good judging from the look Rhodey gave him. "Sleepover?" his friend asked him.

Giving a small shrug in acquiescence, Tony headed to his bedroom.

"You do not need to do this, sir," Jarvis said quietly.

Tony gave Jarvis a soft smile over his shoulder. "I want to, J."

"I suppose the big bed is good for something," Pepper remarked as they entered the bedroom.

"Sleepovers," Rhodey whispered seriously, nodding once.

Tony let Butterfingers down, reaching up to unwind her arms from around his neck. She protested softly, but he shushed her quietly with a promise that he would be right back. She curled up next to her brothers, hiding her face in Dummy's shoulder.

Pepper stopped him with a touch to his arm, giving him a warm smile. "We'll see you in the morning. Merry Christmas, Tony."

"You, too, Pepper." Tony returned her smile and nodded at Rhodey.

Once his friends left, that left him with Jarvis and the three sleeping bots.

Jarvis looked rather nervous, shifting uncomfortably, his hands behind his back. "Sir…"

"You're welcome here, too, J," Gabriel said quietly.

Jarvis looked self-consciously down at his adult body. "If you are certain, sir."

"There's no 'if' about it." Gabriel swapped his clothes out for pajamas, giving Jarvis a set as well.

Although Jarvis seemed initially uncomfortable at stretching out next to Gabriel on the bed, he relaxed relatively quickly and turned to lie on his side.

"Merry Christmas, sir," he said softly. "May I just say…thank you…for everything."

Stunned, Gabriel didn't respond beyond a reflexive swallow and a nod.

Long minutes later, when Jarvis was asleep – his forehead pressed against Gabriel's shoulder – Gabriel found himself staring up at the dark ceiling. His Grace was serene; he couldn't remember the last time it had been like this.

The ringing silence in his head had receded some to fill with the sounds of his kids' breathing. Somewhere else in the house he could feel the souls of Pepper and Rhodey, two bright spots in a world filled with billions. And out in the sky were a trillion more stars, their fires burning fiercely. Even further beyond that were other planets filled with other life, their inhabitants going about life as normal.

But it was here – in this house in Malibu on Earth – that Gabriel felt at peace.

So he didn't sleep. But he closed his eyes, letting the world at large fall away to leave just this.

This little oasis in a world not his own.

* * *

**Oops, I accidentally angst. **

**I've come away from writing this with the knowledge that tooth-rotting fluff is not my thing. I mean, I can read it, but writing it is something else.**

**Comments? Hope you enjoyed it!**


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